Compassionately Inspired: Impacts of The Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Mental Health & Wellbeing

We’re seeing it on the news, in the media, on the streets and for some, even in our very own families. The outbreak of the Coronavirus is affecting our routines, lifestyles, families and relationships, jobs, education, celebrations, and overall, our everyday lives. As the number of cases begins to rise, along with the increasing number of businesses beginning to close; anxiety, fear, and overwhelm begin to strike.

It’s understandable that with the extent to which lives begin to become affected, that mental health and wellbeing would be impacted. There’s a lot going on to process and figure out how to cope with. There are so many factors at play that it’s likely many of us don’t know where to begin. For some, just as they begin to process one piece of information, another piece becomes thrown at them before they can even begin. How do we cope with the fear and anxiety-provoking news and how can we maintain a sense of normalcy in such a time of ab-normalcy? Read on to find out.

To fully understand the capacity of this enormous pandemic, lets first break it down a little bit.

How does COVID-19 and the pandemic affect mental health?

Virus & Germs: Starting from the very beginning, the very thought of just a virus going around, especially to the capacity that the Coronavirus is, is enough to strike panic in people. Nobody wants to get sick or get other people sick so that alone can put people on edge. This is a particular for challenge who may have a phobia of germs or already have pre-existing anxiety, OCD, depression, or mental health concern to begin with. When you add this to the mix, it’s almost as if the feelings that already come with anxiety, OCD, etc. are being confirmed; telling people who are already fearful; sending a message of “see, I told you this would this happen” or “you should have done more”, “you should have washed your hands more and maybe this wouldn’t have happened”. While none of these are true, these are the kinds of feelings that individuals with pre-existing anxiety disorders or mental health concerns deal with on a daily basis and most likely even more so with this going on. With that being said, that is the first way that COVID-19 is striking such panic.

Routine/Life Affected: In addition to that anxiety and panic that’s already there with the virus alone, we then have this pandemic affecting a wide variety of aspects of our lives; jobs, everyday functions and so on. Almost every day we’re told something different that shifts our lives in some way. When our lives are shifted in some way, or when there is a major change or curveball thrown at us; our radar goes up. We don’t like when our world is changed especially in a negative and life-threatening way. We are accustomed to our routines. So when our routine is changed even a little bit yet alone, to the large scale that it is with this pandemic, anxiety, fear, panic, and confusion strike. An alarm goes off in us saying that this isn’t right, this isn’t how it’s supposed to be and it can throw us into a whirlwind of emotions. Some people are out of jobs, getting ready to graduate, having to figure out how to homeschool their kids or learn/teach in a virtual way, not being able to go to certain places etc. and figuring out how to navigate these things is a great challenge.

Isolation: Just when we think all of the above is enough, add into the mix isolation, quarantine, separation and being closed off of comforting emotional support. In a time where social connection and emotional support is critical, so many are left feeling alone. Many are forced alone in quarantine especially If they themselves are sick or even just been exposed to someone who is. So in addition to these high-strung emotions that are already in full swing, people are told that they can’t offer or receive a level of support that is truly needed to their loved ones during this critical time. Parents are separated from their own kids. This is something even I have dealt with. Seeing my mom who has been sick for over 2 weeks and not being able to hug her and offer that emotional support during this time, has been life-changing. We were forced to stay 6 ft away from each other until we got the results. This is a struggle for many others. Healthcare workers potentially exposed afraid of infecting their own kids and loved ones at home. People are even led to be fearful of just to go outside to get fresh air and exercise just to get a break from the chaos.

So, how do we hope and what can we do:

Be physically distant, but NOT socially distant! Ever since I’ve heard the term “social distancing”, I felt inclined to preach this. While we may be forced in many cases to physically distance ourselves from others, this does NOT mean we have to socially distance. In fact, as mentioned above, it’s important now more than ever, to stay connected with friends and loved ones. Text, call, video chat, social media; whatever you can do to not become entirely socially isolated because we need that social interaction and communication right now in whatever way we can get it. While a lot of people are concerned about screen time and overuse of technology, it’s OK to put a limit on it but if you can, don’t become fully isolated from it.

Practice Compassion: In a time of such frustration and chaos, many are on edge. Those on the front lines are overworked. It’s understandable this is a time of panic, everyone is trying to stock up on what they need at the food stores etc. it can be easy to feel like we’re going to explode at times but please, please, please, do everything you can to practice compassion. Appreciate those who are on the front lines. If you go to grab the last roll of toilet paper on the shelf and you already have plenty but the elderly person next to you has none, offer it to them. Practice random acts of kindness to any capacity. We know the smallest act can make the biggest difference and that could not be more true during this time. Per the Compassionately Inspired mission, “In times of physical distance, compassion heals ~Compassionately Inspired”.

Stick to as much routine as possible even at home. It may take time to figure out how exactly to do this as we adjust to working or going to school from home or keeping kids occupied who are out of school. However, develop a schedule that works for you. Some things that can help are creating a time table of when to do what etc. Add in work hours, time for fun activities for the kids, etc. Additionally, if you’re working or doing school from home or even schooling your kids from home, create an office space to work free of clutter to minimize distraction. Find what works for you. We’re all different and operate in different ways. However, one of the keys to maintaining a sense of normalcy is trying to stick to a certain schedule or routine as much as possible.

· Stay Occupied. Do things that can keep you busy to stay distracted from all of the thoughts running through your mind. Cleaning the house, cooking/baking, going through old clothes, playing games with the kids etc. Staying distracted can serve as a way to cope with the cascade of thoughts running through our minds.

· Practice Self-Care. Self-care is different for every single person. For some people, self-care is washing our hair, taking hot baths, meditating, yoga, exercise, etc. For others, it’s watching Netflix, listening to music, writing, cooking, hobbies, etc. Whatever self-care is for you, add it to your schedule and routine even if it’s just 5 minutes every day. This is also imperative during this rough time for our minds and overall wellbeing.

· Talk About It. If all of this is just way too much that you don’t even know where to begin and it feels like you’re on the verge of explosion, talk about it. Whether it’s calling, texting, or video chatting to someone about it or just writing about it in a journal for yourself. Bottling up feelings can only lead to more tension and overwhelm. Let it out. If you aren’t sure where to turn or who to talk to, text “SHARE” TO 741741 to be connected to a live Crisis Counselor at Crisis Text Line or if you prefer to talk call, 1-800-273-8255 to be connected to a Crisis Counselor at the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Apps like BetterHelp, 7Cups, Talkspace are all other great resources if you’re looking for remote therapy. Many therapists, counselors, and counseling centers are also offering Telehealth options as well. You are not alone. Don’t be afraid to utilize resources if you need them!

· Do what you can, and focus on what you CAN control. There is so much right now that is completely out of our control and as incredibly frustrating as this can be, there are many things you can control. Do what you can in terms of hand-washing and disinfecting and taking the cautions that you personally have control over. That’s all you can personally do.

All in all, thank you so much to the people who have taken the time to read this entire article. If you are on Facebook, please join me in my mission to reach as many people as possible by sharing this blog post and liking my page, Compassionately Inspired at facebook.com/fromcomapssiontoaction/ . If you have any questions, comments, concerns or just need to chat; don’t hesitate to reach out via messenger, or email at compassionatelyinspired@gmail.com . If you are a school or organization, I’m also happy to speak virtually about the things I’ve mentioned above. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. We are all in this together.